US Marines ordered to "strike their colours"...

Post by **weemadando** » 2003-03-23 04:51am

Heard about this on the radio the other day.

Apparently after raising the US flag at the port city (I forget the name) the brass ordered them to take it down as this is a war of liberation not conquest...

Any truth to this?

Stuart Mackey · Post by **Stuart Mackey** » 2003-03-23 05:12am

Yah, its true, I saw them doing it on telly last night.

Post by **Darth Wong** » 2003-03-23 02:02pm

I actually have no problem with them raising the American flag. They ARE conquering territory; if they intend to leave it to some indigenous government afterwards that's great, but why play PR games?

Stormbringer · Post by **Stormbringer** » 2003-03-23 02:03pm

Darth Wong wrote:I actually have no problem with them raising the American flag. They ARE conquering territory; if they intend to leave it to some indigenous government afterwards that's great, but why play PR games?

Mostly because we don't want to give any more ammo to the people that scream imperialism at every turn.

Post by **Darth Wong** » 2003-03-23 02:06pm

It just strikes me as a bit of a morale-downer, that's all. What Marine doesn't look at that famous statue of the men raising the flag on Iwo Jima and imagine himself doing the same thing?

Stormbringer · Post by **Stormbringer** » 2003-03-23 02:14pm

Darth Wong wrote:It just strikes me as a bit of a morale-downer, that's all. What Marine doesn't look at that famous statue of the men raising the flag on Iwo Jima and imagine himself doing the same thing?

I think it's a fucking stupid idea if you ask me. I think we ought to fly the flag proudly. Sadly stupid political crap has to get into the way.

The Dark · Post by **The Dark** » 2003-03-23 02:15pm

Of course, that's actually the second flag being raised on Iwo Jima...the photographer didn't feel the first flag was large enough to be impressive, so he had the soldiers redo it with a bigger one. Strange but true.

Illuminatus Primus · Post by **Illuminatus Primus** » 2003-03-23 02:16pm

What a bunch of bullshit.

If we're going to go ahead with this war, we should go ahead and go with it.

I want my motherfucking flag in the motherfucking Iraqi sand, motherfucker.

kojikun · Post by **kojikun** » 2003-03-23 02:18pm

Bah. Its symbolic and the larger-smaller flag thing doesnt matter. :p

Stormbringer · Post by **Stormbringer** » 2003-03-23 02:19pm

Illuminatus Primus wrote:What a bunch of bullshit.

If we're going to go ahead with this war, we should go ahead and go with it.

I want my motherfucking flag in the motherfucking Iraqi sand, motherfucker.

A-fucking-men!

Admiral Valdemar · Post by **Admiral Valdemar** » 2003-03-23 02:20pm

Well, when the Desert Rats cut a way through enemy ground and made a bridge for armour to cross they left a sign saying something along the lines of "Welcome to Iraq, courtesy of so and so, signed, the Desert Rats."

kojikun · Post by **kojikun** » 2003-03-23 02:21pm

Love them engineers.

Post by **Steve** » 2003-03-23 07:51pm

The Dark wrote:Of course, that's actually the second flag being raised on Iwo Jima...the photographer didn't feel the first flag was large enough to be impressive, so he had the soldiers redo it with a bigger one. Strange but true.

That is a myth.

The first flag raised was too small to be easily noticed from a distance. So they had to raise a second one.

Both flag-raisings were photographed and both flags are together in the same exhibit (I think at the Smithsonian, might be wrong).

The Dark · Post by **The Dark** » 2003-03-23 07:59pm

Steve wrote:
The Dark wrote:Of course, that's actually the second flag being raised on Iwo Jima...the photographer didn't feel the first flag was large enough to be impressive, so he had the soldiers redo it with a bigger one. Strange but true.
That is a myth.

The first flag raised was too small to be easily noticed from a distance. So they had to raise a second one.

Both flag-raisings were photographed and both flags are together in the same exhibit (I think at the Smithsonian, might be wrong).

Oops, yep, found a source that corroborates your first two paragraphs. However, according to research by PlSgt. William Eugene Bull of "H" Company, 3 Battalion, 28 Marines, the only things photographed were the exchanging of the flags and the raising of the second flag...the photographer was too late to photograph the first flag. The exchange was photographed by Pvt Robert Campbell, the exchange was videotaped by Sgt William Genaust, and the raising was photographed by civilian Joe Rosenthal. Bull's research earned him a plaque from the Marine Corps for finally answering the questions about the Iwo Jima flags, and can be found at http://www.bullworks.net/iwojima.htm .

Post by **Sea Skimmer** » 2003-03-23 08:17pm

Steve wrote:
The Dark wrote:Of course, that's actually the second flag being raised on Iwo Jima...the photographer didn't feel the first flag was large enough to be impressive, so he had the soldiers redo it with a bigger one. Strange but true.
That is a myth.

The first flag raised was too small to be easily noticed from a distance. So they had to raise a second one.

Both flag-raisings were photographed and both flags are together in the same exhibit (I think at the Smithsonian, might be wrong).

No, they're at the Marine Corps museum in North Carolina along with a full explanation. You can see from this picture the first flag was quite small and couldn't be seen by the fleet or troops elsewhere on the island.

The second flag was soon obtained from LST 779, which donated its battle ensign.

Post by **Steve** » 2003-03-23 08:27pm

No, no, the myth is that the second flag was raised for the benefit of the cameras. I mentioned the first flag myself. *points to post*

Post by **Sea Skimmer** » 2003-03-23 08:48pm

Steve wrote:No, no, the myth is that the second flag was raised for the benefit of the cameras. I mentioned the first flag myself. *points to post*

Yeah, I known that and corrected you in there location before adding a photo for comparison. Few have actually seen what the first flag looked like even if they know the whole story.